Contributed by Jennifer Peachey

The apple is one of the oldest and most widely cultivated fruits. Early settlers from Europe brought the apple to North America in 1620. Today almost 7,500 varieties exist.

Besides providing a good crunch, lots of juice and a burst of flavour, apples promote health in many different ways. As a source of multiple types of fibre (pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose), apples assist in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar, detoxing the liver, cleansing the bladder. Pectin is also reported to minimize the effects of x-rays!

Apples contain 84% pure water, carbohydrates, protein, minerals and vitamins A, B, and C. Most of the nutrients are concentrated just under the skin so it’s best to eat them unpeeled. Raw, unpeeled apples clean the teeth and massage the gums. They are also said to be antidiarrheal, antirheumatic and a muscle tonic. That’s quite an impressive list for such a simple fruit!

A hard, juicy apple, eaten out of the hand is my favorite way to have an apple. There are, however, countless ways to enjoy them! Apples can be candied, dried, baked in cakes, muffins, crepes, strudels, clafoutis, pies and puddings! They can also be made into applesauce, jelly, jam, marmalade, syrup, butter, chutney, vinegar or even soup (see above)!

A non-juicy, slightly acidic apple is best for pies and, for jellies, choose a barely ripe apple that is juicy and high in pectin. For applesauce, choose an apple that does not discolour easily, like a Macintosh. You can prevent apples from turning brown (from oxidation, or exposure to air) by cooking them immediately or sprinkling them with lemon, lime or orange juice. Ours never stay around long enough to go brown!

No matter how you slice or eat them, an apple a day will help keep the doctor away.

Apple Fact: The apple tree grows best in temperate zones; it cannot be culitvated in tropical climates as it requires a period of cold and dormancy to thrive. Lucky us!

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